


look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Depression, F/M, Forgiveness, Future Fic, Healing, Phil Coulson POV, one of those fics where everyone stans Phil and Daisy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5399120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"May told me that I'm the only one left, who has a chance to get through to you." Daisy told him. "I have no idea where she got that idea, because whenever you're feeling guilty about something or shouldering a bunch of crap, I'm the first person you push away."</p><p>'Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now.' - Lin-Manuel Miranda, That Would Be Enough, Hamilton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now

**Author's Note:**

> Set months, almost an entire year, after the events of the MSF. There's Coulson-angst so if you don't like that, well, you've been warned... but Daisy does kick some sense into him. :)
> 
> I wasn't going to do too much Coulson-angst fic, but I was listening to Hamilton and that line Eliza sings (quoted above) just threw itself out to me like Daisy would say that to Coulson. And I have a lot of Coulson feels right now so I had to get this out.

Coulson followed May into the front of the Quinjet while Bobbi and Hunter strapped in to the jump seats.

"It's alright to say you miss her, you know. It's human." May spoke up when she noticed him pouting a little in the seat next to her. He didn't respond, and she inwardly sighed as she prepared for flight.

"How have you been?" May asked after they'd reached altitude and had been flying in silence for a while.

"Even in my dreams, I still look for her." - Coulson admitted in a faraway voice, and May's expression turned careful, sympathetic.

"Rosalind?" She replied understandingly, and Coulson frowned.

"No, of - are we talking about the same person, here?" He wondered, and May raised her eyebrow just a little.

"I _was_ talking about Daisy, earlier." She replied, and Coulson relaxed.

"Oh, okay, good." He said, and May just stared at him. "So was I." He added as if she were slow. She blinked, and a look of dawning crossed her features.

"Oh. Oh, _Phil_." She sighed softly, and he frowned again.

"What?" He wondered.

"How long?" She asked quietly, and he didn't answer for a long time.

"I can't remember anymore." He finally admitted.

"Does she know?"

"I haven't exactly found a good time to bring it up," he snarked, and May scoffed under her breath, but they were silent again for another few minutes.

"So what exactly was Rosalind, then?" May's tone was bordering on accusatory, and Coulson bristled even though he knew he deserved it.

"She was..." He rotated his jaw as he tried to find the word, "available." May outright laughed sarcastically at that.

" _Available_? Since when were you ever that guy, Coulson? You were never that guy." He slouched a bit, glaring out the side window.

"Maybe I am, now." He muttered.

"Whatever made you think Daisy was unavailable?" May wondered, and Coulson raised his eyebrow, turning to face her.

"You're kidding, right?"

"My God, Phil, she practically followed you around like a puppy dog that entire first year she was on the team!"

"Exactly! I was _responsible_ for her. And then when I wasn't, well, there was that whole issue with alien carving and uncontrollable powers and evil parents - " May shook her head, and Coulson huffed. " _What_? Are you saying you would have _supported_ a relationship between the Director and a lower level agent?"

"Honestly, I thought that was why you did away with the levels," May replied, and Coulson opened and closed his mouth silently. "After we helped Cal?" May asked in a gentler tone.

"My hand." Coulson replied tersely. "And before you ask anything else, I wouldn't want to _step_ on _Lincoln's_ toes," he added with distaste. He glanced over to catch May's eye roll.

"You're not even giving her the choice,"

"As if she would want it." Coulson interrupted, and May looked truly surprised now.

"Whatever happened to Mr. Confident Master of Charm?" She wondered, and a pained look crossed his face. He looked back out of the side window.

They were just dropping altitude to prepare for landing when May spoke up again.

"You're done, Phil." May said firmly, grabbing his attention. "This wallowing in your own problems and not letting anyone help you ends, right now. You've been through shit. I've been through shit. Daisy has been through shit. _All of us_ have had a fucking time of it, this past year. It's time to accept what has happened and move on."

He wasn't sure what to say in response, and after the wheels touched down, May pointed a hardened look in his direction.

"And I'm not flying us back to The Playground until you're back on track."

" _Hey_ , now that's -"

"You aren't required on the main facilities anymore, _Agent_ Coulson," May reminded him, and he pursed his lips. "And until our Director calls us back, being _here_ at The Cocoon is our mission. Helping out the Caterpillars."

"Right." He muttered. "I need to work on my _teamwork_."

"You know he's right." May told him as she unbuckled from her seat. "You've got the results Phil but you aren't letting anyone in and we can't have SHIELD divided again."

"SHIELD isn't divided if it's just me," He pointed out obstinately, and she slapped him on the back of his head as he led the way toward the back of the plane. Hunter and Bobbi shared a look, but kept their mouths closed. Instead of getting mad, though, Coulson found himself fighting the urge to smirk.

 

**< ><><> **

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" Joey Gutierrez greeted them excitedly in the air garage once they stepped off of the plane. Bobbi and Hunter both returned the greeting fondly, and even May smiled a little. Coulson gave him a short nod, but Joey had only known the desperate-vengeful Coulson, and he wasn't sure where to begin with showing Joey any other side of him.

"Hi, Joey. How are things here?" Bobbi asked, walking next to him as he led them all down the hall further into the base.

"Pretty good. Director Johnson has let us decorate for the holidays, so everyone's been a little more cheery, lately." Joey explained, gesturing toward the half-decorated tree that had been propped against the wall where the hallway split into two directions.

Coulson felt a lump in his throat at Joey calling Daisy 'Director Johnson', but he hid the proud smile on his face before the others could notice it. Mack was still the head Director of SHIELD, but he insisted Daisy was still his partner, and named her Co-Director. Here at The Cocoon, Coulson guessed it was natural for them all to call her Director because they generally never saw Mack. He kept himself busy at The Playground much more often than Coulson ever had. Coulson thought he was better at it, anyway.

"Oh, I should warn you, she's training today. She does every Wednesday and Sunday." Joey added.

"Why is that worth a warning?" Hunter asked slowly, and Joey grinned as if he was remembering something funny.

"Things may get a little shaky around here," he replied, then gestured toward a wide doorway as they passed. "That's the lounge and kitchen. Set up like the one at the other base; we try to keep things at least kind of similar so it doesn't get too confusing for those of us who work at both sites."

Coulson eyeballed the mistletoe hanging above the entryway, his lip twitching in discomfort. He couldn't help but remember the image of Daisy and Lincoln holding onto one another after... He shook his head. He didn't have the right to be jealous.

"The quarters are all down here - except our Director's, of course, she's got her own office and everything it's real swanky - anyway, we have plenty of extra rooms for you all." Joey informed them, and May looked at Coulson with mild amusement.

"What?" He wondered, quietly enough that the others didn't hear him speak.

"I wonder where she got the swanky office idea." May mused, and Coulson rolled his eyes.

"She's the _boss_ , here, May. She deserves her own space."

"Mhm."

"These three right here in a row are cleaned up for you guys. After you get settled we've got a meeting in the briefing room. That's down the hall from the Christmas tree, opposite where we turned to get here." Joey told them, smiling again, and then the ground trembled under their feet. Dust unsettled in some places, but nothing else happened, and Joey gave them a wry look. "See, told ya." He left them alone then, and as Coulson opened the room to his quarters, he wondered what exactly Daisy was doing that had the whole base shaking like that. It had been months since he's had any contact with her, or anyone in the Caterpillars Project.

He flicked the stocking that hung on the outside knob of his door, shaking his head at it but leaving it there, stepping fully into the room. It was decently sized, but sparsely furnished. He was sure the other more frequented rooms were much homier; he was probably the first person to actually use this space.

He hasn't made contact with The Cocoon, but he'd still been keeping up with the project as much as possible, and he knew that Daisy hadn't taken in any new Inhumans lately. He didn't know _why_ , but perhaps that was a conversation they could have later.

He suddenly felt very nervous.

"Phil? Ready?" May was standing outside his door, waiting on him. He set his duffel on the end of his bed and removed his jacket before joining her in the hallway. The floor shook under their feet again as they headed toward the briefing room. "She's more powerful." May commented, and Coulson nodded silently. "Fitz explained to me that they had designed her training room specially, with the most non-reactive metal they could manage. Obviously not as good as The Captain's shield, but, it apparently dampens _a lot_."

Coulson knew that May was being talkative to try and bring him out of his shell, but it almost made him more uncomfortable. He'd always been able to trust in May's silence - and maybe that was her point. She was right (as she usually was), it was time for him to pull himself together.

"Agent May," Lincoln was there to greet them as they found the briefing room. "Coulson." He was decidedly less friendly with Coulson's name, but Coulson didn't stop to ponder why. He'd never exactly gotten along with Lincoln, even before the ATCU mess.

Hunter and Bobbi were already in the room, as well as Joey, a young woman Coulson had met once before whose name was Yo-Yo, and a tall man who immediately turned to look at Coulson when they entered. His suit was almost the exact same dark color of his skin, making the white markings on the suit seem like tattoos. Coulson was rather fascinated by the design, and May elbowed him in his ribs.

"Stop fanboying." She muttered under her breath.

"I'm _not_ \- "

"Hey guys, sorry, I thought you would be getting in a little later," Daisy's voice floated into the room, and Coulson immediately stopped and turned to look at her. A part of him immediately felt at ease with the familiar tones.

"Hey, Quake," Hunter grinned, using their newest nickname he and Mack had come up with for her, and she smiled back, greeting him with a hug. She hugged Bobbi, too, and smiled at May over her shoulder before they parted. She looked at Coulson, then, and he blinked.

She was the same, but she also wasn't. She stood straighter, a more firm plant of her feet on the ground. Her jaw was set and strong but her eyes were bright, much lighter than they had been when she'd left The Playground. She looked simultaneously older and younger, and he struggled to find his words. Say something familiar, like the others had done, or be professional about it? Detachment had been a safe fallback these past months...

Before he could speak, she turned her attention to the rest of the room.

"I believe the only person here who hasn't been introduced yet is Eden." Daisy nodded her head toward the man Coulson had found fascinating. "Eden, these are old friends from HQ. Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse - I should warn you to knock on the doors of the SUVs before you enter, while they're here - Melinda May, she was my SO," Daisy sounded very proud about that, and it got a warm look from May, "and Phil Coulson. He helped me first create the Caterpillars Project." She didn't look at him.

Eden nodded politely toward each of them as Daisy introduced them.

"I am Eden Fesi," he began, and Daisy grinned,

"We found him in Australia. How cool is that?" Eden smiled at her as if she were an amusing child, and Coulson felt something in his heart twist at her familiar words. He had missed so much...

"I was born with my powers, though they did not develop until later in my life. I have the ability to teleport." He explained.

" _Cool_." Hunter approved, and Bobbi raised her eyebrow with interest.

"Can you teleport objects? Other people?" She wondered.

"Yes," he nodded, "we are working on testing my abilities to see how large of an object I can teleport."

"And I think you all already know Yo-Yo?" Daisy gestured toward where the Puerto Rican woman was leaning casually against the wall in the corner.

"Hey," She said. "I was in the middle of making dinner, so, if you don't mind..."

"Sure, sure. Joey, help her out if she needs it." Daisy released the both of them. When they'd left, she smiled ruefully toward the others. "Everyone will tell you they're our best cooks around here." She glanced at Coulson. "Well, maybe not anymore..." She looked away too quickly to see the warmth that started to soften his expression. "I won't keep us all in here for too long," She got to business, approaching the holotable and bringing up some things on the screen in front of them, "I just want to give you a quick rundown of where we are right now as far as missions, training, and general base operations,"

Coulson tried not to lean closer to her when she positioned herself between him and Bobbi.

 

**< ><><> **

"She's very good at this," Bobbi sounded very impressed as they meandered their way down the hall. He hadn't decided yet whether he would join a few of them in the lounge, or unpack his bags, but both of those things were in the direction they were headed anyhow.

"She is." He sounded too wistful, and caught Bobbi noticing. "I..."

"It's Christmas, Coulson. You're allowed to feel happy." Bobbi was gentle about it, gentler than May had been.

"How do I stop feeling guilty every time I have a happy thought?" He whispered, not wanting the others in the hall to hear. "Feeling like it's _wrong_ that I want..."

"I think," Bobbi said carefully once he didn't continue, "what was _wrong_ was you trying to replace that want in the first place."

"Have you all been working together on this?" Coulson wondered, but Bobbi had a rather excellent poker face. The fact that she pulled that face told him enough, though. She patted his shoulder companionably before stepping back to walk with Eden, starting up a conversation to get to know him.

"Hey," And there Daisy was, walking next to him just how she used to, her shoulder just barely brushing against his.

"Hi." Coulson replied elegantly. (Not at all.)

"It's been a while." She commented.

"A long while." He agreed. Wow, this was probably the most awkward conversation they've ever had, and that included him talking about his flexibility to a closed door like a dumbass.

"How have things," She started to ask, and then stopped. She seemed to struggle with something for a moment, and then, "How are you?"

"I'm..." _Confused. Anxious. Mildly depressed. Lonely. Guilty. Sorry. Longing. Very sorry._ "Better."

"Better is good." She offered him a half smile, and he returned it, though without as much feeling. Even with the hope building and the guilt subsiding, it was still difficult to really smile.

"Better is better." He agreed, looking away from her. He felt like he was staring too much, afraid she'd disappear like a creation of his mind. "You've done great here," He complimented, and she snorted.

"You haven't seen much of anything we've done."

"But I've seen the way they look at you. The way they talk about you. Your team _wants_ to work with you, and is honored to work with you. They respect you highly."

"We were always honored to work with you, too, Coulson," Daisy told him softly.

"That's not what I meant." He frowned, frustrated that she thought he was thinking of anything other than her.

"I'm sorry," She apologized quickly, realizing, and closed her eyes for a second. "Thank you. That means a lot." There was a beat of silence. "I'm honored to work with them, too. You should see them in action, Coulson, they're _amazing_."

 _That's what I thought about you, too._ He wondered if he should tell her that. May's voice as his conscience prodded at him.

"That's what I - "

"Daisy, how do you feel about breaking out the eggnog?" Lincoln unknowingly interrupted, and Coulson closed his mouth. "I know it's a little early and you wanted to wait until closer to Christmas Day, but we could always make more. I figured it'd be a nice celebration, with these guys here with us." He glanced at Coulson, and Coulson realized that he was trying to be polite.

That made Coulson suspicious. Were he and Daisy very serious, now? Serious enough he wanted to get on the good side of all of them?

While Coulson fretted, he missed what she said to Lincoln, and didn't really come back into focus until she nudged his arm with her elbow. Lincoln had disappeared just as quickly as he'd shown up.

"Hello? Earth to Coulson? What, looking forward to that eggnog?" Daisy teased, and he quietly cleared his throat. "So, what were you saying?"

"Ah...nothing important." She looked like she didn't believe him, but she didn't push it.

"Any uncontrollable alien writing I need to know about?" She almost sounded exasperated, and he was so surprised by the question, he let out a startled bark of laughter.

The others, who'd been chatting amongst themselves as they all walked in a loosely formed group down the hall, noticeably quieted.

Coulson cleared his throat awkwardly, and then Bobbi started up her conversation again and everyone else followed suit.

"Good lord," Daisy muttered, "it's been that bad, huh?" He wasn't sure if she'd meant for him to hear, but he answered her anyway.

"Yeah, it's been that bad." He admitted.

She hesitantly wrapped her fingers around his elbow, and when he didn't shy away from her, she relaxed a little more and fell into step with him as they continued on toward the lounge.

How much joy could be felt in one simple touch.

 

**< ><><> **

Dinner was not as uncomfortable as Coulson had expected it would be, though even still he stayed quiet through most of it.

Daisy sat next to him, a comforting presence without trying to force him into socialization. He felt like an outsider; a ghost, or a fly on the wall, as he watched everyone else interacting. It was nice to see his teammates loosen up a bit, smiling, indulging in an extra glass or two of eggnog. It was nice to see Daisy.

But all that goodness twisted hard inside of him, made him feel anxious and a bit terrified. He never had any goodness for very long until it all fell to pieces around him. How would things end this time?

As if she sensed his rising discomfort (he forgot that she probably _could_ , changing vibrations and all that), Daisy placed her hand lightly on his knee beneath the table. She didn't call any attention to the gesture, didn't even hesitate in the story she was telling Bobbi. He caught himself, and swallowed a large mouthful of eggnog. He still felt anxious, but he wasn't on the verge of getting up and leaving the table anymore. He wasn't normally a schnapps sort of guy, but perhaps if he drank enough of this spiked 'nog he'd feel a little calmer.

"We cooked, so, someone else can do cleanup duty," Yo-Yo announced once things had considerably died down. Daisy laughed as she got to her feet, gathering her dishes.

"Those are the rules," She agreed. "Phil and I can handle this."

Those who knew him better looked at him hesitantly, waiting for him to make some excuse and disappear for the rest of the night. And, while he was sorely tempted to do just that, he was also determined to repair his friendship with Daisy.

"Of course." He replied quietly, standing and stacking up his dishes as well. Bobbi shared a look of surprise with Hunter, but they too began gathering dishes to help the other two.

"See you tomorrow, boss," Joey called out as her team left the room. Lincoln stayed behind, assisting with cleanup as well. He'd been quieter during dinner also, though he seemed to be trying to have pleasant conversation with the other SHIELD agents. He still wouldn't look Coulson in the eye.

"It's good to see you, Rockstar," Bobbi smiled warmly at Daisy and gave her another hug before she and Hunter left, as well.

Coulson started rinsing plates to put them in the washer, setting himself apart from May and Daisy, who were quietly conversing by the table. Lincoln hesitated next to him after he set another empty glass on the counter.

"She cares about you." Lincoln's tone was unreadable.

"She shouldn't." Coulson replied, unsure of where Lincoln was going with this. "We all know what happens to people who care about me, people I..." He stopped. Telling the boyfriend that he cared about her probably wasn't a good idea.

"We also know that she can take care of herself." Lincoln pointed out, and Coulson stopped what he was doing for a moment.

"What do you want, Campbell?" He demanded, and Lincoln finally made eye contact with him.

"I want you to give her a chance, because I'll be damned if she left me for a lost cause." Lincoln glared at him, walking away before Coulson could respond. Coulson stared after him for a minute.

"What did he say, now?" Daisy sighed as she sidled up next to him in front of the sink, taking the dishes he had already rinsed and placing them in the washer. "He has a habit of being a bit... Acerbic."

"He..." Coulson swallowed down his surprise, putting on his stoic face again. "Nothing. He was just helping."

"I know you don't like him much, but could you at least _try_ , with him? He's been alright toward Bobbi and Hunter, and even May. _He's_ trying."

 _Because he wants to get back into your pants._ She caught Coulson's sour expression.

"I know that his opinion of SHIELD leaves a lot to be desired, but -"

"I told him to leave me alone because I don't feel much like talking." Coulson interrupted her, his voice hard, and she pursed her lips as she looked at him. He held out a rinsed cup toward her, waiting for her to take it before turning back to focus on what was left in the sink.

They worked on in silence for a while, neither of them needing to speak as they worked effectively.

When he held out a handful of silverware, Daisy wrapped her fingers around his hand, stopping him and pulling his attention toward her.

"I'm not dating him anymore." She informed him, and he blinked at her. "I just want you to know that. I'm not sticking up for him because he's my boyfriend, I'm doing it because if he could just get his shit together he could be an asset for my team. For SHIELD." Coulson rotated his jaw, feeling frustrated though he wasn't entirely sure what at.

"I'm not the Director anymore," He started.

"Your opinion still matters to me." Daisy insisted, and that silenced him again.

"Why?" He wondered quietly, as if that were ridiculous.

"You're _kidding_ , right?" Daisy exclaimed, unknowingly using his own words against him. She took the silverware from him and dumped them haphazardly into the slot in the washer, and he relaxed his hands by his sides, taking a step away from the sink, readying himself for her to tear into him. When she looked back at him, though, she didn't look angry.

"May told me that I'm the only one left, who has a chance to get through to you." Daisy told him. "I have no idea where she got that idea, because whenever you're feeling guilty about something or shouldering a bunch of shit, _I'm_ the first person you push away."

"I don't _want_ anyone to get through to me," Coulson argued, lying, lying so much, but, "it's easier alone. Anyone I care about, I just ruin their lives. I get them _killed_."

"Damn it, Phil, stop thinking like you don't deserve happiness!" Daisy said louder, stepping closer to him. "You're _alive_. _I'm_ alive. The team made it out of that castle alive. My team has grown and training has gone well. Fitz and Simmons are back to the dynamic science duo they used to be, creating a bunch of cool new shit, and I'm learning every day what I can do with my powers, and Bobbi is completely healed, and May and Mack are leading SHIELD, and you..." She trailed off, and leaned her head to the side, perplexed. "You," she repeated. "You've _survived_."

"That's the problem." He finally admitted, his stoic expression breaking. "Things have been relatively calm. Going well, even. Nothing ever goes well without crashing and burning. Not for me," he told her.

She cradled his face between her hands, and though he was startled at the contact, he didn't pull back. She rubbed her thumb along his cheekbone, and then over his eyelid when he closed his eyes. She traced down the bridge of his nose, then back up and along his brow, down his cheek and across his jawline. He made a yearning noise and she slid her hands around the back of his neck, pulling him into an embrace. He tucked his face into the curve of her neck, wrapping his arms tight around her waist.

"If we don't have each other, what's the point of SHIELD?" Daisy whispered against the side of his head. "What the hell are you fighting for, Coulson, if you aren't fighting for the people who care about you?"

 

**< ><><> **

 

Daisy joined him in his bedroom, the two of them sitting next to one another across his bed with their backs against the wall. They were silent for a few minutes, until Daisy broke it.

"I don't have the best track record, either, you know. Most of the guys I've been with end up making bad decisions, get arrested, or turn into the _literal_ representation of evil." She let out a sad huff of laughter.

"Is Lincoln...?" He wasn't sure what to ask.

"Lincoln isn't evil, he's just kind of a selfish asshole." She replied, and Coulson couldn't help but be amused by her tone. "I thought we were similar, that it could work because of what we are... But that isn't true. We're not similar at all." Coulson made a sympathetic noise, and they sat in a respectful silence for some more minutes.

"She was going to spy," Coulson admitted softly, staring at the closed door across the room from them. "On the ATCU, on Malick." He shook his head. "She probably would have gotten herself hurt, or killed, anyway." Daisy placed her hand atop his leg supportively, and he tilted his head to the side to rest it on her shoulder.

"I won't pretend to understand that relationship, Coulson, but... If it had been me, if I had died while having dinner with you, well, I would have at least died happy." He heard her make a frustrated noise as he sat up straight again. "I mean, fuck, I'm trying to say she probably died happy, Coulson. You were the last person she saw."

"God Daisy, no," he insisted, twisting to grasp her face between his hands. "No, no, don't even hypothesize that." He was suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of _her_ bleeding out in his arms. "If it had been you..."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," She apologized quickly, seeing the rising panic in his eyes and covering his hands with her own. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to help you feel better, I didn't mean..."

"You would be happy, if I was the last person you saw?" He wondered carefully. "Even if your death was my fault?"

"First, you need to understand - _her death was not your fault_. The psycho who pulled the trigger was the one who murdered her, okay? That wasn't you. Two - shit, Coulson, you're my favorite person. Of course it would comfort me if you were there while I...well, you know."

He stared at her, speechless, still twisted awkwardly as they sat side by side on his bed with their hands clasped on either side of her face. His chest hurt, filled with a weight that had nothing to do with a panic attack, and he felt overwhelmed. Her eyes softened at whatever she saw on his face, and she rubbed her thumbs against the back of his hands. He sucked in an unsteady breath, furrowing his brow a little, uncertain whether he should just -

"It's okay, Coulson." Daisy whispered, and he released a sob before leaning into her pressing a messy kiss against her lips. She returned a small kiss, much more gently, and he had to drop his head to sob again. "It's okay, I love you too, it's okay," she promised him, running her hand through his hair. He lifted his head up to kiss her again, harder, desperately. "We'll be okay." She promised against his lips, a few tears running down her face too.

They kissed for a while, wiping away one another's tears, until they were both so exhausted that they fell asleep on the small bed, wrapped around one another protectively.

When Coulson opened his eyes the next morning, it was to discover Daisy already awake, gazing at him as she trailed her fingers along his face. He blinked sleepily, then smiled slowly, and she smiled back.

They still had a lot to do, but he felt more confident that they would manage. They could do this. He could do this.


End file.
